An uneasy murmur rippled through the student body.
The students looked at each other in disbelief. Could Egos—the man hailed as a Hero Candidate, the one who held the absolute trust of both his peers and the faculty—really have done something so appalling? As the commotion began to swell, Professor Castle spoke up, addressing the man who had been singled out.
"Cutman... such testimony has come to light. Is it true? Did you take it upon yourself to report the fact that those two had left the group to me?"
Uno questioned him quietly, but his voice carried a heavy, authoritative weight that brooked no deception. Faced with a question that was already bordering on a formal interrogation, Egos didn't even flinch. He answered boldly, his expression unchanging.
"No. I have absolutely no idea what she’s talking about. I neglected to report to the Professor? That’s simply impossible."
Egos shrugged, a faint, mocking smirk playing on his lips as he dismissed the suspicion cast upon him.
The female student’s face drained of color at his reaction. Her voice trembled as she cried out.
"That’s a lie! I definitely told you, Egos-san! I’m not lying! It’s the truth!"
"I wouldn't know anything about that. Most likely, she just wanted to go on her break early and skipped the report herself, right? Now that it’s turned into an unexpectedly serious mess, she’s lying to try and wiggle out of the responsibility... that sounds about right."
"No! You’re wrong! I’m not lying!"
The girl desperately asserted her innocence, but the majority of the students seemed inclined to believe Egos.
The fact that she was visibly agitated and acting suspicious while Egos remained perfectly composed was certainly part of it, but the primary reason was his Protagonist Charisma. This skill allowed him to draw people in and charm them regardless of logic, making his level of trust far superior to that of a mere student assistant.
Understanding that anything she said would be futile, Egos let a smug smile spread through his mind as he muttered to himself.
Damn it. Mobs should act like mobs and just disappear quietly. You're useless, so don't get in the way of me—the Protagonist.
He had intended to use this event to have Fee killed by a Magic Armor Beast, but instead, he had been thrashed by an enemy character who had undergone some incomprehensible evolution. Because of that, the situation had deviated wildly from his planned scenario. Even Yui’s Affection Level had been snatched away by Fee. Everything was a total mess.
On top of that, if he were held responsible for Fee’s injuries, things would become extremely troublesome.
However, as long as he possessed Protagonist Charisma, he was certain he wouldn't be treated like a culprit no matter what he did. Just as Egos predicted, Professor Neila cut into the conversation to defend him.
"I do not quite understand the situation, but... I believe the possibility of Egos-kun doing such a thing is infinitesimally low! Stop trying to pin your own failings on him at once!"
Egos congratulated himself on having raised Neila’s Affection Level. Being shielded like this was one thing, but he felt nothing but gratitude for the various ways she smoothed things over for him. His prediction that becoming the favorite of someone with significant authority would pay off had been spot on.
Thanks to that, he had been able to execute this reckless plan. Egos felt the atmosphere of the clearing gradually tilting back in his favor. He was inwardly chuckling at his success, but then—
"Um, excuse me. May I say something?"
Amidst the shifting mood, another male student raised his hand.
The moment Egos saw the boy's face, he wondered what a mob character could possibly want. Then, he realized the face was familiar. After a moment's thought, Egos remembered him—he was one of the students who had been in their group during the combat exam held before the Warrior Shrine Maidens.
The boy began his testimony.
"I saw it. I saw that girl talking to Egos-san. And I also saw the moment before that, when Fee-kun was telling her something."
"...Huh?"
For a heartbeat, the clearing fell deathly silent.
The sound of doubt that escaped Egos's lips echoed with embarrassing clarity in the ears of everyone gathered. Egos felt a prickling tension crawl over his skin. His face twitched, struggling to maintain that half-smirk, as a surprised Professor Castle addressed the boy again.
"Are you certain? You saw Cutman talking to that girl?"
"Yes. I... I owe Yugo-san a debt of gratitude, so I was keeping an eye on his brother, Fee-kun. That's why I didn't miss the moment he spoke to her."
Yugo and Ryuga both realized who he was in that instant. The student testifying was the one they had saved when the Gigantes went on its rampage. Realizing that the "debt" he mentioned referred to that rescue, they watched as the student continued his testimony with newfound confidence.
"After talking to Fee-kun, that girl tried to head toward Professor Castle... but Egos-san stopped her. Then, after they spoke for a bit, the girl left the group. While everyone else was moving on, Egos-san stayed behind in that exact spot until the very last second. It looked completely unnatural."
"Are you sure? Is there no mistake?"
"Yes, I’m positive. At the time, I wondered why he was doing it, but if I think about it as him trying to leave Fee-kun and Renjou-san behind by letting everyone else go first, it all fits together perfectly..."
"H-Huh? W-What are you talking about? I-I didn't do anything like...!!"
Egos tried to deny the testimony, his face twitching violently. The composure he had displayed until a moment ago had evaporated. The words wouldn't come out right; his bold attitude was gone, replaced by a man sweating profusely with eyes darting in search of an escape.
"...It would be for your own good to answer honestly while you still can," Uno said, his voice dropping an octave. "If we find evidence that corroborates this testimony after you continue to lie... you know what the consequences will be, don't you?"
"Ugh...!"
There had been dozens of people there, including students from both the Elementary and High School Divisions. Just like this boy, there might be others who had witnessed his interaction with the assistant. He could try to keep lying, but he had no way of knowing where the next piece of evidence would come from.
In that case... it was smarter to change tactics.
Having reached that conclusion, Egos forced a flippant smile and let out a shallow apology.
"Um, sorry! I guess I told a little lie...!"
"...So you admit it? You neglected to report to me."
"Yes, sorry! But I really didn't think it would turn into such a big deal! Fee-kun and Yui-chan looked like such a good match... I just thought I'd give them a little alone time together. I never dreamed a monster attack like this would happen...!!"
Having easily admitted to suppressing the report, Egos tossed out his excuses and apologies with a lighthearted air.
Perhaps... no, without a doubt, he should have apologized with the utmost sincerity right then and there. That would have been the only way to minimize the damage. The reason he didn't—the reason he couldn't—was his own arrogance. He believed that because this was a game world and he was the Protagonist, he would be forgiven for anything.
Furthermore, as a former employee of a "black company" and a working adult in his previous life, he subconsciously refused to truly bow his head to students who were younger than him. His pride, inflated by his circumstances, had erased the very concept of apologizing to "game characters" from his mind. He truly believed that a casual apology would result in nothing more than a light scolding, and that his status as the hero made him immune to real consequences.
Naturally, the world was not so forgiving. His shallow delusions were never meant to survive the reality of the situation.
Without Egos even noticing, the magic of his Protagonist Charisma had already shattered. The respect he had gathered through borrowed power and his carefully crafted image were rotting away, exposing the hideous nature beneath. While he stood there smirking, oblivious to his own ruin, a hard, tightly clenched fist drove straight into his face.
There was a sickening crack as his nasal bone shattered. Warm blood began to pour from both nostrils. Egos looked up, his eyes wide with shock, and found himself staring at Yugo—a man harboring a rage that defied description.
"...What's so funny?" Yugo asked, his voice a low, vibrating growl. "Why the hell are you smirking? Do you even realize the kind of danger those two were in because of your pathetic, self-centered games? Did you do it knowing exactly what would happen... and you still have the nerve to stand there like that?"
Egos clutched his bleeding, broken nose, staring at Yugo. He froze, paralyzed by the sheer intensity of the fury radiating from Yugo's entire body. "Anger" was too weak a word. "Explosion" didn't even come close. To even try to categorize the emotion as mere rage was a mistake.
The emotion pouring out of Yugo had transcended fury and stepped into the realm of pure, lethal killing intent. It was far more terrifying than the anger Yugo had shown during the Cooking Club Incident. Yugo’s face was almost void of expression, his eyes fixed on Egos with a gaze that promised absolute ruin.
As Egos trembled in sheer terror, Yugo slammed his final warning down like a hammer.
"Get up, Egos...! Because I am never... ever... letting you off for this!!"